


An Eye for an Eye

by karrenia_rune



Category: Gargoyles (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Pre-Series, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-01-27 21:10:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1722650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A brief character study of Hudson and several others set in the era when the Clan lived in 994 AD shortly before the attack on Castle Wyvern and the stone sleep spell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Eye for an Eye

He did so enjoy the night watches, more so for the opportunity to be alone with his thoughts and the wind. It is cold upon the battlements of the castle, but he merely huddled deeper into the protection of his bat-like wings.

The eldest gargoyle among the clan allied with the human residents of Castle Wyvern, the others naturally assumed that age came with wisdom. The primary lesson, that he had been attempting with a modicum of success, to teach some of the older hatchlings, with varying degrees of success was: that: 'a gargoyle can no more stop breathing the air than he can stop defending the castle." Unfortunately, his current pupils in that regard seemed to find more waking opportunities for getting into trouble and shirking their responsibilities. The elder gargoyle shook his head in fond if slightly disappointed remorse.

Farther along towards the southern horizon he heard the muffled conversation and movements of the human soldiers who were also standing watch. Behind and to his left the clan leader emerged from a door and climbed the steps that led up to the older gargoyle's perch. "Greetings, old friend."

"Old, is it?" he gruffly replied, "I am not so old that I cannot still go several rounds of swordplay better than you, youngster, just ye see if I cannot!"

"I meant no harm by the comment," Goliath replied, "And as for sparring and swordplay goes, well, I wouldn't want to test you on that would I?"

The distinct sound of booted feet on stone and the sound of someone clearing their throat momentarily interrupted the good-natured bantering and both gargoyles looked around for the other presence.

"Greetings, captain, and my angel of the night," Goliath nodded.

"The Captain has urgent news, Goliath, news that cannot wait. You should listen to him, now."

"Then by all means, continue."

"Goliath, I have received a word, word from trusted sources, Hakon and his Vikings are planning a major offensive, ye need to take your gargoyles and leave the castle immediately."

"If they plan an attack they will not find us unprepared, will they? Goliath smiled. "We are here to defend the castle and all of its inhabitants; surely ye know that, Captain?"

"Aye, nothing has changed, and Prince Malcolm and Princess Catherine we hold up their end of our bargain." she said.

"Aye, they will, have no doubt about that," the Captain replied. "It's just Hakon has something in mind, all I'm asking is that you and your second lieutenant check it out beforehand. Our outriders have discovered his army encamped on the hills a day’s ride away.

Goliath darted a significant glance with his angel of the night, her flame red hair haloed in the diffuse light from the rushlight in the wall sconces and the slowly rising sun to the east. "I'm the best warrior we have; surely you will let me go with you!"

Goliath stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, if the fighting becomes close then they will need every warrior we can muster. You must stay and fight, beloved."

"Very well, I will stay, but I do not have to like it, beloved."

"Ahem, well, if that is settled and you will not take your gargoyles away from the castle when the attack comes, it will be on your head,

"Goliath." The Captain of the Guard turned on his heel and clumped down the stairs into the castle's interior.

"That was different, I wonder what burr got underneath his saddle," the older gargoyle wondered.

Elsewhere

Hakon hunkered down beside the merrily burning flames of the communal fire in his command tent, rubbing his hands together, more so from satisfaction at his plan of attack than from the need to gain more the warmth inside of the tent.

He was only peripherally aware of the Castle Wyvern's Captain of the Guard, who stood uncomfortably to one side, poised to comment on the plan or protest, but as far as Hakon was concerned, once the man had committed to the plan and no more needed to be discussed.

If the other had felt any pangs of remorse of cold feet about his decision to betray the occupants of Castle Wyvern and its resident protectors, the Gargoyles, it would be a moot point now.

At that instant a rider on a lathered horse came into the camp blowing past the sentries and the picket lines that surrounded the camp. Hakon stood up, waving his aides and men to remain where they were.

"My Lord, Hakon, I tried, but the gargoyles refused to leave the castle."

"No matter, just makes our sport all the more challenging."

Hakon finished studying his map of the terrain with few hours rest and a forced march as soon as the sun peeped over the eastern horizon, he would have his army at the gates of Castle Wyvern would take place in a matter of hours. He grudgingly had to admit that the local Saxons and Normans could be expected to put up more of a fight than that.

However, Hakon was a Viking warrior and leader of men, and the veteran of several campaigns and pitched battles and he could feel his blood fury rising up in his veins. He took his attention of the anticipated battle long enough to regard the Captain of the Guard speculatively; wondering if the man had held up his end of their bargain, to lure away the castle only major obstacle to his attack plan, the gargoyles.

Attacking during the night while they were awake and active was a death sentence, that was why he had to attack at dawn.

 

Meanwhile, Goliath and clan elder soared on the rising heat thermals with their eyes peeled on the rolling green and brown hills of the countryside surrounding the castle.

"The Captain said that the Viking army was within a day's ride," the elder said, "How hard would it be to spot them from the air?"

"I have the oddest feeling," Goliath said.

"Are ye thinking what I'm thinking, lad?"

"Like we have been duped into following a wild goose chase?"

"Indeed, while the real action is taking place behind us."

"Back to the castle and pray that we are not already too late!"  
***  
As they turned to go back to the castle time caught up with they and first rays of the rising sun turned them to stone forcing them to come to a landing on the nearest hillside.  
***  
The sun rose red and high in the sky the following morning, accompanied by the sounds of battle, smoke, fire, and fear.  
Meanwhile

In the confusion of the battle Hakon absented himself from his men, suddenly on an irrational hunt for another prize more than just the sacking and looting of the castle's treasury and other loot.  
He launched himself bodily at the outermost wall and began climbing the parapets.

He lifted his war hammer as far above his head as he could and he began to smash the still stone figures of the sleeping gargoyles, one by one, heedless of how tired his arm and weary body grew.

Hours passed and Hakon was shin deep in little mounds of dust, it clung to his boots, the leather of his pants, while the dust coated his face and hands.  
The fire and smoke rising from the other fighting all around him was filtered out through his own red-tinged fury, and he gruffly shoved it away to a dark corner of his mind.

Hakon was exhausted, 'just one more,' he thought, 'Then it will all be over.'  
He slouched over to another stone gargoyle, this one wearing leather pants with a long sword tucked into a sheath at his side. Suddenly he dropped his war hammer with a clash to the floor. Instead, a sudden thought struck him:

He would not smash this one; he would take his belt knife and slash at it.  
Hakon suited action to thought and made a downward slash at the corner of the gargoyle's left eye when the stone gargoyle began to stir and fine spider web cracks ran up and down its flanks.

Hakon looked up and realized with a start that sun had set. He staggered back a few steps and tripped over a broken flagstone.  
The daylight was fading fast and sooner than he would have liked the gargoyles would awaken. He had to get out of there, he turned on his heel and ran for the stairs and out as fast as his legs would carry him.

Aftermath  
Awakening, the three younglings, known as the Trio for having been hatched at almost the same time in the Rookery, curious about all the noises that they could hear from the confines of being banished to the Rookery like wayward hatchlings, emerged into the dying light of day.

"What is happening?" the stoutest one asked, yawning. "We are missing the greatest fight of our lives because Goliath grounded us, or what?" The brick-red one replied.

"Yeah, they think we're too young to handle stuff like this."

The small yellow-green gargoyle bent over to rub the stubby ears of the  
garg-dog and looked up. "I don't know, but I think it's a moot point right now. Look! The place is a mess and most of the fighting has passed us by. Let's get up higher where we can get a better look around."

The clan elder landed with a loud thump beside them.

"There you are I was beginning to get worried about you."

"We are fine. but, Oh, your eye!" exclaimed the small one as he raised a hand in the air in order to trace the outline of the healing scar on the other's face.

"Oh, that," the elder one shrugged the matter aside, “Trust Vikings never to get anything done right."

He saw the stricken look on the young ones' faces, and he muttered under his breath. "Leave it be, lads, leave it be. Right now, Goliath needs us."


End file.
